LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — While the COVID-19 pandemic caused many events to be canceled this Halloween, the city of Lexington found ways to help families celebrate safely.
There are two events this week, one virtual and one outdoors, to get people in the spooky spirit.
In past, jack-o-lanterns lit up Transylvania University’s campus during the annual PumpkinMania.
“We have been able to welcome several thousand people to our campus every year for the last nine years. This year, we can’t do that,” said Megan Moloney, vice president of marketing and communications.
So, the event is going virtual and the university is still looking for people to send in their spooky or kooky pumpkin creations. You can email a picture of your jack-o-lantern to pumpkinmania@transy.edu or post it to social media with the hashtag #PumpkinMania. It will be added to a photo collage and posted on the university’s social media through the weekend.
“We’re hoping that that’ll be a fun way for people to check out our social media on Halloween. See if they can find their pumpkin on the stairs, the way that they do when they’re in person,” said Moloney.
However, if you want even more eyes on your carvings, you can donate your pumpkin to be displayed during Lexington’s first Jack-O-Lantern Trail at McConnell Springs Park. Jack-o-lanterns can be dropped off at the park by 6:00 p.m. Tuesday.
“We’re hoping this will be the start of a new tradition,” said Amber Luallen, cultural arts program administrator at Lexington Parks and Recreation.
While public tickets are sold out already for the three-day event, anyone who donates a jack-o-lantern can sign up for a time to view the trail during a VIP walk-through Tuesday night. Pumpkins can also be brought at that time.
“They can bring it to the 7:45 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. session and place their pumpkin on the trail and get to see the rest of the pumpkins illuminated on the trail,” said Luallen.
You have to sign up in advance at https://www.lexingtonky.gov/FallEvents.
